He said the tiger doesn`t exist in the area as it`s not its habitat. But there are chances that it can migrate from adjoining Uttarakhand`s Rajaji National Park, the only park in the region that supports tiger in the wild.
Rattan said the wing has started extensive search in the 402-hectare Renuka wildlife sanctuary, but so far could not find any evidence of the tiger.

"For over a month we were getting reports from the villagers (settled in periphery of the sanctuary) about the sighting of the tiger. Now, our lion safari guard spotted it. His claims that it can`t be a farce as he could easily distinguish the wild cat with black stripes," he said.

The lion safari, which is part of the wildlife sanctuary, is home to two lions and several leopards.

The official said more camera traps would soon be laid in the forest. "A team of experts in pugmark and scat (fecal) identification has been dispatched."

The Renuka wildlife sanctuary is also home to many flora and fauna species.
According to the wildlife wing, famous mammals found in the sanctuary are the leopard, jackal, jungle cat and various herbivores like barking and spotted deer, wild boar, hare and porcupine.

The sighting of the leopard is quite common in the sanctuary.

Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Satish Gupta said: "We have extensively surveyed the area. We have spread sand in the forest to take his (tiger`s) pugmarks."

Researchers with the high-altitude field station of the Zoological Survey of India in Solan town say the spotting of a tiger in Himachal Pradesh was only recorded in the Simbhalwara sanctuary, also in Sirmaur district.

"Like the elephants, the tiger is occasionally migrating from the adjoining Rajaji National Park to Simbhalwara," said a researcher.

He said researchers twice collected scats of a tiger in the Simbhalwara sanctuary between 2005 and 2007.

Wildlife experts say if claims regarding the presence of a tiger in Renuka sanctuary are corroborated, the state should again ask the central environment ministry to extend its tiger project from the Rajaji National Park to Simbhalwara.

Simbhalwara supports a thick growth of elephant grass, making it ideal for a tiger reserve, they said.

Both Renuka and Simbhalwara sanctuaries lie in proximity. Even Kalesar forest in Haryana is adjoining the Rajaji National Park.

The state wildlife wing earlier sent a detailed report to the central environment ministry proposing to include 4,400 hectares, including 1,990 hectares in Simbhalwara, under the tiger reserve.